A little self love

My major weak points in the material world are self care things. Essential oils, fancy teas and coffees, chocolate, soft pants, decadent foods, massages.... These are what top my self care list. Couple all of those things with friends and travel and I'm in paradise.

I've kinda gotten over the price we pay for a lot of these things though. I certainly appreciate the time and space that goes into creation, but for self sustainability, I want to know how to do them myself. 

So I've been playing with teas and oils cause they seem way easier than pants and chocolate. 

I busted out some spearmint (because the vata in me doesn't like peppermint), and some licorice root, (because it makes my digestive system feel like heaven and it is a little bit sweet), and I mixed 1/4c of each into 12 cups of water and boiled it for 15 minutes. Then I strained it and now I drink it. It's delicious!!! I think it's pretty similar to the tea Aveda serves at their locations... But they use peppermint. And it doesn't cost $15 to buy a container of it. 

Sorry to all you people that don't live in the US that I'm speaking gibberish too about measurements, it'll be easy enough to google the conversion. 

The second thing I did was some essential oil dental care, maybe not to be used in place of toothpaste ALL the time, but it does provide a freshness that's pretty rad! I have been trying toothpaste at night and the oil in the morning. Magic. In. My. Mouth. 

Take 2tsp of almond oil as a base

Add in:

12 drops of myrrh

15 drops of peppermint

2 drops tea tree

2 drops of clove

2 drops of cinnamon

6 drops of lemon

Now I also typically incorporate some shower love into my days as well. Not living in a super humid environment has taken its toll on my skin and I use it more often than I did when I was in Thailand. But I made a very simple body scrub. 

Epsom salt

Sweet almond oil

Essential oils of your choice

Put it in a jar that is easy enough to scoop out of with your fingers. Add about 20 drops of essential oils first, then follow it by filling the jar 3/4 of the way with salt, top it off with sweet almond oil (or any other choice), and shake it up. Adjust the proportions as you need to. 

Keep this in your shower and after you've scrubbed yourself clean scrub down with the oil, rinse the salt and dab yourself dry. 

It'll keep some good moisture in your skin. Way better than lotion!

If you want some ideas on blends according to your skin or mood let me know. I'd love to help! 

Intimacy

Intimacy.

It tends to be reserved for a partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, and immediate family.  But in truth it is attainable with everyone you meet.
I find myself lucky in my work, and I am sure I have talked about this before, but I get the most intimate parts of people.  Their worries, their laughter, their tears, their joys, their vulnerability, their strength.  It comes through as they move, and as I assist their bodies.  When I place my hands on their body as they hold a stretch and I gently put pressure on their muscles to offer the support that is sometimes needed for a release I find intimacy on the way their body gives way to mine, to way my fingers and my hand molds to them.

Every morning when I wake up I consider intimacy and what that will look like in my day and who I cross paths with.  I hope to get to know people deeply, and carefully insert myself into their lives as a source of support, laughter, and joy.  Because it takes a village... not just to raise a child, but to raise ourselves to be better humans.

Most of us are anxious for love, we dream about our marriages at a young age, reserving ourselves for that special someone... yet there are millions of special someones out there and these connections can be made briefly and on the short term.  They come through listening, they come through touch, and gaps in our hearts are bridged when we take these chances to open up.

I was pondering intimacy yesterday as I bent, played, pushed, and pulled on another woman's body in a partner yoga class.  A woman that I have known for years, but could not tell you her favorite food or color, or about marriages or friendships.  But I could tell you about how her body reacts in moments of challenge and strength, how it surrenders in moments of release, and how her breath moves through her.  I could tell you I would miss her presence greatly even though we cross paths only every once and a while. I would tell you that I know her.

The class was filled with couples loving the moments they got to touch and be in the glory of the person they love so deeply, learning one anothers movements and communicating needs for proper use of the others weight.  I love the body for this reason, it is so tangible and so specific of how someone is doing.  You can tell the stress, apprehension, joy and love that person is feeling at the moment by the way the muscles release and give way to resistance and pressure, or stay stiff and tight as they resist letting you in.  You learn to adapt accordingly, whether consciously or sub consciously.  You learn how to be there for someone with out words.  And the more that both parties relax and give way to the other the more profound the efficiency and the function is.

This is my belief, to surrender, yet be certain that our strength, accompanied with the strength of others will win out and support us fully. 

Since losing my mom I have decided I just do not give a fuck about what I lose, meaning that I am more likey to jump heart first into situations, because nothing will amount to the loss of her, and any loss that has happened since has only made more sense and fueled my desire to be better and connect deeper to people.  When I die, I doubt I will care much about the world and its possessions, but I can be certain I will remember those who shared a touch, a heart, a moment or many moments of true intimacy.  And as long as my days consist of that I will be full of joy.  

Depth vs Function

In yoga class yesterday I was watching people grimace and clench and hold their breath as they strived to go deeper into a pose that maybe didn't need so much depth.  Their posture was being sacrificed.

I know I have talked about this many times so I will keep this short.

What is the purpose of your depth in postures?  What are you compromising to go deeper?  Some days we want the emotional release, some days we want to show off, some days we want to achieve and all of those are very human things that we all face, but the purpose of yoga is to let go of those things and allow it to be what it is, where it is, why it is.

If you lose track of your breath in the posture you have gone to far.  The breath should be an honoring to your body, it should be steady, reliable, soothing, and supportive.

You deserve a practice that restores your body, and I do not mean that you have to do slow yin or restorative yoga to achieve that, just that you need to listen to your body and its limits so that it can achieve optimum results.  And that happens not when we are trying but when we are letting go.  The breath is your whisper of boundaries.  Listen to it and enjoy your practice.  You do not need to be better than you already are. 

Jet plane ramblings

There are moments I just want to stomp my feet, twirl, and blast noisy music that makes me move fast.  Because I often feel overwhelmed by how fast the world moves and how much I love it. Don't get me wrong please, I'm not the hippy type of yoga instructor that believes in "the path to happiness" I just believe in being happy, making the choice. 

But likely if you are reading this you already know my philosophy on life. 

I've been traveling for the past 36 hours, and I'm just a few short hours from reuniting with family and Colorado peeps. I'm sitting on an airplane with 200+ other people and am amazed by our ability to travel in such masses at such speeds. 

Amazed and thankful. 

But it is 36 hours into sitting and I'm listening to music that makes me just want to jump up and fuckin dance. It makes me imagine spinning in the sun laughing with my girlfriends at our ability to be ridiculous and somewhere in there is glitter and tutus... Cause why not?

I'm walking into unknown territory and that always ignites some passion and compassion in me, everything becomes more intense, from excitement to sadness. Emotions are real. Very real. And I'm feeling them. Not just for myself but for so many others that I know and love. Even ones I don't know I suppose.

This is a pivot point for me and I don't know where it'll go, and I'm high on that. It could go anywhere, and I know it's dependent on my actions... It's always dependent on our actions and our attitude. 

Pivot point.... I shouldn't glamorize it, we are always at pivotal points. Mine are no different than yours. But in my head at this moment I feel like mine is big, that's my shit. It's been a year since I lost my mom and it hurts no less but I am able celebrate her more, which is good. This year marker... Well, it's been a hard fucking year. As hard as it's been I have accomplished so many goals and I anticipate what the second year with out her will bring. I feel like she's just kickin' it out there in the universe putting everything in place for me, like how you would organize anything in life, except I'm not the one doing it, she is, which has made my life a lot easier. 

I had a recent moment in regards to her passing. I was doing some stretching late one night when I was struggling to sleep and I had a new perspective on her, one I am slightly ashamed to admit because as her daughter it's something I knew but maybe never gave full credit too. 

She was brave. And I felt really proud of her all of the sudden. 

You know, or perhaps you don't, she had inflammatory breast cancer, which is by far the wickedest thing I've ever witnessed. And through all the symptoms of this form of cancer she didn't take pain meds until the last 2 weeks of her life. She just took it, she just clenched her jaw and got through it, proving her strength and stance in the world. She didn't so much buy into western medicine and really wanted to avoid it. So she did, and may have made it worse or it may have prolonged her life but none of that matters now. Like all of us, my mom was brave and I'm so proud to be her daughter, because I know she taught me to be brave and stand true. She was an incredible woman and her being a martyr to her beliefs only makes me more proud. 

So that's it really, I don't have an intention with writing this, it's just a bunch of rambling. However... I want to say to anyone who reads this: be happy, be brave, and most importantly be true to who YOU are rather than who the world thinks you should be. That's what'll lead you to happiness, when you stop the conflict of what the world tells you to be and start being who you are; and that takes bravery because there isn't always acceptance in that. 

Love!!!

Better than cat-cow

Cakravakasana. I think this posture / movement saved my practice. 

At one point I chose to do full camel, which considering my lordosis (excess curvature in my low back), was not the smartest choice for me personally. The performance of this pose unraveled my body and pretty much made my yoga practice non existent, I had lost majority if the stabilization in my lumbar spine. 

I was lucky enough to be starting my second 200hr yoga course and was introduced to this pose. It was one of 2 poses that I could practice and I did it 28 days a month for about 6 months. It not only corrected the imbalance in my lumbar spine, but it also taught me how to stabilize. 

A movement similar to this one in most yoga classes would be cat/cow, however this takes it to a new level. Most of us tend towards rounded shoulders because of the amount of time spent sitting or at computers and Cakravakasana on the inhale helps to stretch the front of the chest open bringing a very gentle backbend quality, whereas the exhale helps lengthen the low back and strengthen the core. Not only does it help balance the curvatures of the upper and lower back but it also builds the relationship between breath and movement, relaxing the nervous system and giving you more benefits than just the standard cat/cow pose. I promise if you start putting Cakravakasana in place place of cat/cow you'll feel a difference. 

Cat cow seems to be used often these days as a filler in classes, it has it's purpose but if you're struggling with low back discomfort than I encourage you to try this pose instead. However, if you're feeling tension between the shoulder blades than maybe cat cow is more appropriate. It's all in knowing your body and how to accomplish what it needs. 

Below are written instructions for Cakravakasana  

• Start on hands and knees, keep your elbows unlocked and spine neutral. 

• Inhale pull the chest forward between the arms stretching the ribcage and filling the lungs 

• Exhale engage the abdominal a shifting the hips back towards the heels, bend the elbows forearms to the floor, chest towards the thigh, forehead towards the ground. 

• Keep the movements slow and focus in the upper back with the inhale and low back with the exhale. 

Please enjoy this pose and you can find a timelapse video of it on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/rechakayoga

Love!!!!

Why Foundations?

I have just spent a weekend teaching about foundations, the breath and your posture, and exploring what they are and how to do them correctly. It's funny that the two things we are so naturally born with are the hardest things for us to come back to. Instead we've become distracted by the things outside of us, quickly forgetting the process of life, desperately controlling our food and exercise habits, and denying that life will end when the time is right.  We focus on how much we exercise rather than how much we move, on what we should eat rather than what our body is asking for, and so many other external influences.

So I want to go against the grain of what's being pounded into your heads, if for no other reason than to play devils advocate and get to you to consider a different idea... Right or wrong... It's about what FEELS right for you rather than someone else telling you what is right.

If there's all this information out there about the power of thoughts and how we think creates the experience, than perhaps that attributes to what you stick in your mouth as well. Maybe instead of hating your food you just loved it and ate it slowly, thankful that you get it. From your farmers garden to mcdonald's you just learned to give it appreciation. (That said I don't eat mcdonalds, not only because I think it's gross but because I do not wnt to give money where I do not believe ethics exist). I'm just saying stop blaming your food for what your body looks like, it's not it's fault. Maybe it's how much you consume, or how often you consume it, or maybe it's about what you think about it emotionally as your body is trying to digest it. Maybe it's about not being in tune with your body.

Have you considered that thoughts don't just change what you're attracted too, but EVERYTHING in your life, from food to relationships.

Switching gears like that isn't that easy, so here's something to focus on physically.

        Breath.
        Posture.

Because both of these things relate very closely to the condition of your nervous system. Your breath is a pump for your body where as your posture determines your mobility and flexibility. So if you put a big rock on a belt in the engine of your car, (try not to be too impressed by my car lingo), do you reckon it would still run efficiently when you are driving?
No? Well how do your internal organs feel when you slouch or even puff up your chest too much? Of course it effects their function because their mobility and motility is compromised.

When you compromise your posture it equally effects the muscles in your stomach, back, shoulders, neck, and hips making them tighter which, from the way I approach the body and what I've learned... If the muscles are tight because of improper use the nervous system becomes strained, after all they're in very close relation to each other.

This is  just another form of stress, and we all know what stress does to the body. Stress eating for example. Weight gain as another. Poor sleeping habits. And the list goes on. All which lead to more stress. And this stress will cause you to feel bad, shorten your breath, and make you think you need to work harder to be better. But perhaps you do not have to work harder, or perhaps you do, but you won't really know until you've relieved the symptoms of stress and re-visited your foundations and what they need to be.

         Posture and breath.

They're the two basics. They're within your control.  They give you more knowledge about yourself than your fitness routine and your food, which are  just repercussions of  previous bad habits.

Now I'm rambling, I apologize. I just want everyone to know that it's a lot simpler than we are making it out to be, and spreading the word that poor trainers, physios, yoga teachers, and doctors will not bother to discuss these basics with you because that wouldn't line their pockets anymore now would it?

Be well. Be gentle. and of course Love!

The Spray of the Waves.

This video caused the following feelings to well up, like the waves, and generally I am not very poetic but It is as though when my mom passed she exploded and scattered herself through out all the world I know, revealing herself in the people I meet, the animals I see, and the nature I come in contact with.  So, this is about gratitude and appreciation for the connections of this world and the anniversaries I am celebrating in the coming days and weeks.

Women:
The importance of women in life alluded me in my earlier years, and I enjoyed the conversations had with guys much more. As the years matured I found the vulnerability that women have with one another in true friendship is irreplaceable. The moment I realized I was losing my mom I suddenly missed the women in my life dearly as I would soon be lacking the most important woman in my life. I regretted the times I'd changed in moments with ladies for moments with a dude because it felt like it was only them that could fully comprehend my loss. 

I have found this truth again and again in the last year. Year. 1 year. 1 year with out my mom. 1 year falling into step with women and people all over the world. It appears that the deficiency of my moms presence has led to an excess in the presence of incredible women in my life. Like I said at the beginning, it is like a wave smashing into the rocks scattering itself endlessly.  It has been so hard to do this year with out her, to go through the successes and the tears, to notice the subtleties, and gather strength.  Appreciate your mom, 

Men, mostly my dude:
I don't mean to leave the guys out of this one. I have met some amazing men along this journey; the kind that restore your faith in the opposite sex. However, there is one that leads the pack, one that is not family by blood, rather by proving he supports me. 4 years. 4 years with one dude. 4 years of laughing, adventure, and molding life to look exactly as it should. And in this past year our relationship has softened into something deeper, a sort of connection that affirms I'm with a bad ass that I wouldn't change in for the world. Like most of my connections these days I can't imagine it would be this deep had this year been any other way. 

There is unlimited depth in loss, realization and mysteries that uncover themselves in the strangest areas. It reveals to you the importance of connection and reminds you day in and out to respect those around you. Because we are human, we will sometimes fail. So like a plaque in my moms room once said 

Life is about

How well you live

How well you love

And how well you learn to let go. 

Thailand:
2 years.  2 years in Thailand.  2 years of my life looking exactly as I would have drawn it out to be.  The amount I have learned here is unbelievable (stay tuned for the 20 things I learned in SE Asia write up). Mostly it has provided me a away to expand beyond what I thought I would and spread myself through out the world as I've always wanted too. I have met incredible people, created my work life the way I want it, adventured with my dude as well as on my own, and lived by the sea!   

I am thankful for Phuket, for the people I have met, for the people that I know, for my dude my dad and my brother, for my incredible mama, and for all of the things that have helped me move through this year with out her. Each of you has influenced in a different way, making it tolerable and inspiring and I want you to know that. 

This next month I want to celebrate... Celebrate life, love, friendships, connection, travel, community, work, yoga, transition, beauty, knowledge, and YOU. Thank you all for the part you've played and I hope I've given you something in return to what you've given me.

Wishing you the best! Love!!!